Ministry of Defence of Georgia
February 11, 2014
NATO Military Committee visits Georgia
NATO Military Committee is holding the session in Georgia for the first time. NATO MC paid a two-day official visit to Georgia today. The visit of NATO top military officials is headed by Chairman of MC General Knud Bartels.
Chief of the General Staff of Georgian Armed Forces Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze greeted the MC delegation in Tbilisi international airport.
The foreign guests were also greeted by Georgia`s military representative in the North-Atlantic Alliance COL Irakli Dzneladze, Head of NATO Liaison Office in Georgia William Lahue, Military Liaison Officer of North-Atlantic Alliance COL Maximilian Eder and NATO Defence Attaches accredited to Georgia accompanied by the Honor Guard.
The first comments for the media were made in the airport.
Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze stressed importance of the MC delegation`s visit in Georgia saying: “It is a great honor for me to welcome General Bartels and such an important delegation in Georgia. We will provide all the conditions for the successful working process during the visit.”
Chairman of the NATO MC General Knud Bartels focused attention on the NATO support of Georgia and deepening the bilateral military cooperation: “Thank you for your welcoming remarks and for your invitation to host the NATO Military Committee meeting in Tbilisi. As Chairman, I would like to express our appreciation for the opportunity to visit Georgia and get a firsthand look at the results of your defence reforms and progress in transforming the Armed Forces.
This is the first NATO Military Committee visit to Georgia and the fact that we are here today is a clear sign of NATO’s support for the effort undertaken by Georgia.
I am confident, that this visit will marks another step forward in our military cooperation.”-said Chairman of NATO Military Committee General Knud Bartels.
Head of the NATO Liaison Office William Lahue also made comment on the importance of NATO-Georgia partnership: “We are important partners in NATO operations and missions in Afghanistan and as you understand and this will give this group of generals the opportunity to understand the current situation reforms in the Georgian Ministry of Defence to assesss where they believe the Ministry of Defence is currently in their NATO integration process and then to be able to provide advice at the NATO HQ on where they believe Georgia should move with its reform process and determine what additional support NATO might be able to provide in our partnership with Georgia.”
After leaving Tbilisi International Airport, the delegation members went to the Heroes` Square, to lay the wreath on the Memorial of Heroes fallen for the territorial integrity of Georgia.
Today, NATO top military official will hold meetings in the Chancellery of Government of Georgia with the President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.
On the second day of the visit General Knud Bartels will meet Minister of Defence Irakli Alasania. Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze and MoD representatives will attend the meeting too.
After the meeting MC session will officially open in the Hotel “Radisson Blue Iveria”. Georgia`s defence and security transformation, Georgia`s contribution to the security of Euro-Atlantic area and NATO-Georgia military cooperation will be discussed at the session.
After the session, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia Alex Petriashvili will host the NATO representatives at the working lunch.
MC is the highest military authority of NATO. Its main function is to present recommendations to the North-Atlantic Council on military policy and strategy and to give directions to the NATO strategic commanders. The Committee is staffed by the military representatives of NATO member countries.
NATO MC rarely visits non-NATO countries. The high-ranking military officials of the Alliance paid outside visits only in several non-member states of the Alliance.
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Civil Georgia
February 11, 2014
NATO Military Committee Visits Georgia
Tbilisi: NATO Military Committee, made up of senior military officers from NATO member states, started a two-day visit to Georgia on February 11.
NATO Military Committee, which is the primary source of military advice to the Alliance’s civilian decision-making bodies, will hold a session in Tbilisi on February 12 with the participation of chief of general staff of the Georgian armed forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze.
During the visit, chairman of NATO Military Committee, General Knud Bartels will hold bilateral meetings with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, PM Irakli Garibashvili, and Defense Minister Irakli Alasania.
Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, said that this visit is very important as it will be a good opportunity for the Alliance to look into reforms in the Georgian armed forces and assess country’s readiness for making next step on its NATO integration path.
“Goals that we have on our path towards NATO will be discussed. The progress is obvious and this visit itself shows it,” chief of general staff of the Georgian armed forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze, said on February 11.
This is the first visit of the NATO Military Committee to Georgia. The visit was originally planned for November, 2012 but at the time it was postponed after then chief of staff of the Georgian armed forces, Giorgi Kalandadze, was arrested.
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